Thoracic spine MRI cost in Little Rock, AR
In Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR, 3 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the mid back (thoracic spine), no contrast dye: from $847.20 to $2,996.39, with a median of $958.20. The lowest listed price is at Arkansas Heart Hospital — $111.00 less than the median here. Across Arkansas, the median is $873.60 at 14 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities for code 72146, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 22, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Nov 21, 2025 and Nov 21, 2025.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas Heart Hospital lowest Little Rock, AR · (501) 219-7000 MRI Spine Thoracic w/o Contrast | $847.20 | $1,059.00 | $529.50–$794.25 | 20% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Arkansas Heart Hospital lowest Little Rock, AR · (501) 219-7000 MRI Spine Thoracic w/o Contrast - Report | $847.20 | $1,059.00 | $529.50–$794.25 | 20% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Little Rock, AR · (501) 686-5000 MRI SCAN OF MIDDLE SPINAL CANAL WITHOUT CONTRAST | $958.20 | $1,597.00 | $216.40–$887.00 | 40% | — source file |
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Little Rock, AR · (501) 686-5000 MRI CHEST SPINE W/O DYE | $1,044.60 | $1,741.00 | $216.40–$887.00 | 40% | — source file |
| Arkansas Childrens Hospital Little Rock, AR · (501) 364-1100 MRI SCAN OF MIDDLE SPINAL CANAL WITHOUT CONTRAST | $2,996.39 | $3,329.32 | $223.09–$2,635.86 | 10% | — source file |
| Arkansas Childrens Hospital Little Rock, AR · (501) 364-1100 MRI CHEST SPINE W/O DYE | $3,178.87 | $3,532.08 | $223.09–$2,635.86 | 10% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $847.20, median $958.20, highest $2,996.39 — a 3.5× difference within the same market.
Cash or insurance?
At 0 of 3 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
An MRI of the thoracic spine makes detailed pictures of the middle section of the spine, between the neck and the lower back, including discs, vertebrae and the spinal cord. It is ordered for mid-back pain, suspected fractures or nerve symptoms. No contrast dye is used.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the scan of the mid-back section only. The radiologist's reading is often billed separately.